Before you start playing online poker, make sure you understand the rules. Perhaps the most important of these is the hand strength rankings –review the list here and commit these to memory for better play:

1. Royal Flush

This hand is comprised of a Straight, from a 10 to an Ace, with all 5 cards of the same suit. In poker all the suits are of equal rank, and none is stronger than another.

2. Straight Flush

This is a hand of any Straight, with all 5 of the cards being of the same suit.

3. 4 of a Kind

This hand is self-explanatory: any 4 cards of the same rank. If 2 players both receive 4 of a Kind on the board, the bigger 5th card, the Kicker, will decide who wins the pot.

4. Full House

This is any 3 cards of the same rank alongside any 2 cards of the same rank. An example of a Full House would be 3 Aces and 2 Kings, which would beat 3 Kings and 2 Aces.

5. Flush

This is any 5 cards of the same suit, and they do not need to be consecutive. The highest card of the 5 determines the ranking of the Flush. Should it be a 2, 5, 8, 9, and Ace, the Flush would be called an Ace High.

6. Straight

This is any 5 consecutive cards of different suits. In the Straight, Aces can count as either the high card or the low, with the latter being the case in a hand of Ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5, which is the lowest possible Straight you could find at Gaming Club NZ or any other poker site.

7. 3 of a Kind

This is any 3 cards of the same rank. A hand of 3 Aces, with a King and a Queen as the side cards is the best possible 3 of a Kind.

8. 2 Pair

This is any 2 cards of the same rank appearing in a Hand, alongside another 2 cards of the same rank. The best possible 2 Pair would be 2 Aces and 2 Kings, and the higher Pair of the 2 determines the hand’s rank.

9. 1 Pair

This is any 2 cards of the same rank. 2 Aces would be the best possible 1 Pair Hand.

10. High Card

This is any Hand that does not fall into the groupings outlined above, with the best possible High Card Hand being an Ace.

A Straight Does Not Beat a Flush

One of the most widely found misconceptions in poker is that a Straight beats a Flush. In reality, a Flush, 5 cards of the same suit, will always beat a Straight, or 5 cards in a numeric sequence. A Straight Flush, which is 5 cards of the same suit in consecutive order, will beat both these Hands.

Does a Hand of All Reds or All Blacks Beat a Straight?

The colour of the cards does not mean a thing in poker. In order to make up a Flush in a poker game, you will have to 5 cards of the same suit. This means that 5 spades, 5 hearts, 5 clubs, or 5 diamonds will all be valued identically. Having a hand made up of just 1 colour does not mean a thing in a poker game.

If you commit this information to memory, your poker game will take a turn for the better and you’ll know what move to make to build better hand.